The present invention is directed to a system and method for routing notification messages to a subscriber and, more particularly, to a system and method for determining where a user may access a message and ensuring a subscriber receives a message in a timely manner.
Notification services are becoming more popular as persons are becoming more mobile. Timely receipt of notices can be vitally important in some circumstances. For example, timeliness is important to the subscriber who buys and sells stocks on the stock market. The subscriber will want to be notified at the time a particular stock of interest either reaches a predetermined high or low value such that the subscriber can sell or buy the stock. If this information does not reach the subscriber in a timely manner, the subscriber misses the opportunity to make a gain.
Various services exist by which teleservice subscribers may have messages forwarded to them. These services require that the subscriber indicate the various devices at which they may receive messages, and also a schedule of the times they will be within access of each device. When the service receives a message to be forwarded to the subscriber, the service accesses the device and time data stored in a database, and forwards the message to the device where the subscriber is scheduled to be. Thus, the message delivery system forwards only one message to the subscriber at the location they are to be in accordance with a previously entered schedule. A drawback of this system is the subscriber""s schedule may unexpectedly change and the message will be delivered to a device that the subscriber cannot access. These changes in the schedule are often unforeseen and the subscriber does not have the opportunity to change the schedule with the service.
One existing message forwarding system delivers messages to each of the devices registered to the subscriber. A drawback of this method is the number of repetitive messages received by the subscriber that must be reviewed and deleted. By way of example, a subscriber may register a home computer, work computer, and wireless communication device. Each of these devices will be sent the message. Once received by the subscriber at one device, the subscriber must then review and delete the same messages on the other devices. This process is time consuming and frustrating for a busy subscriber. Additionally, the subscriber may inadvertently delete a message before acting on it believing it is a repeat of a previously accessed message.
The present invention is directed to a message system that forwards messages to the subscriber such that they may receive the message in a timely manner. The system directs messages through a host server to one or more devices at which the subscriber may be located. Once delivered, the system monitors whether the subscriber has received the message. The system also deletes repetitive messages from the multiple devices once the message is accessed such that the subscriber does not receive redundant messages.
In one embodiment, a multi-cast approach is used for delivering the message. Registered devices used by the subscriber are listed in a subscriber device list. When a server receives a message that is to be directed to the subscriber, the server sends the message to each of the devices registered for the particular subscriber. Message agents within each subscriber device monitor whether the subscriber has accessed the message. Once the subscriber has accessed the message, the message agent on the device signals the server of the subscriber receipt. In response, the server signals the message agent on each of the remaining devices in the subscriber""s device list to indicate that the subscriber has already reviewed the message. The remaining devices can then delete the message so that repetitive messages are eliminated.
In another embodiment, a probabilistic approach is used for determining the where the subscriber is located and delivering the message a device at that location. The server receives a message that is to be forwarded to the subscriber. The server assigns a probability to each device indicating the likelihood of it being used and ranks each of the listed devices based on the probability. Probabilities can be based on a variety of factors including whether a device is active, status via a global positioning network, most recent device access, previously entered schedule, or other. The server sends a message to the device with the highest ranking. If the subscriber accesses the message at that device, a message is sent back to the server indicating receipt and the process is complete. If the subscriber does not access the message within a predetermined time period, the message is deleted from the highest ranking device, and the message is sent to the next ranked device. Again, the server monitors whether the message is received by the subscriber. If no receipt is indicated, the message is deleted and another message is sent to the next highest ranked device. This process continues until the subscriber receives the message.
Hybrid systems of the multi-cast and probabilistic approach are also contemplated and included within the present invention.